K-Drama 
most well written drama I've seen this year
this the first time I've watched the wuxia genre and this show did not disappoint,things i liked:
1. world building
because this is the first time watching this genre i was afraid i wouldn't understand anything but even though this show didn't have an opening explaining all the lore the characters explained the world to other characters that didn't know ,which informed us the viewer which i really appreciated which really showed the effort the writers put into the world building of this show and also how much they respected the viewer to let us figure it out and by the end of the show i was really emersed into the world they build over the period the show aired.
2. cohesiveness
everything in this show fit together really well, the costuming fit every character really well and showed their personality without seeming out of place. something that i also liked is that the outfits repeated, in some dramas they would be changing the characters clothes every scene but the repeating of outfits further shows that there is a bit of realism in this unrealistic world. another thing that made the show a masterpiece is the Ost and score these were so well done the show wouldn't feel whole without them, in some dramas the music doesn't fit the emotion or scene but in this show they put so much effort into the score making it the Ost's instrumental and also it fit every important and even the insignificant beats of the story. the ost also brought out all the emotional parts of the story and amplified them making me go back and rewatch some scenes.
3. direction/cinematography
this show is so beautiful to look at i was speechless the scenes in the wilderness where breath taking and the way the show was directed is so well-done the crew did such a good job and it shows through out the entire body of work.( I'm trying to keep this review spoiler free so i wont go into too much details on this).
4. the characters/ the story
every character was well thought out and all the motives of every character were clear and most important thing for me when watching a drama is the character development because i hate it when a character remains stagnant throughout the whole show and then suddenly they change in the last ep, to do it well the growth has to be slow but apparent. i saw this in the second leads the way pei si jing developed throughout the show was so well written. and imo the best written character is zhou yi chen if you watch the show you see how much he changes and develops and a person, moreover the motives of the villains where clear and you as the viewer understand them its not like they were doing evil because the show needed and antagonist we knew the reason why they were doing these evil acts and we could anticipate them too which i liked, also on the topic of villains i liked that not everything was black and white and there where some grey characters like li lun who i understood why he did what he did and his character development throughout the show was so well-done you can see the confliction in him every time he did anything to zhao yuan zhuo. the supporting/background characters were also well written every time they showed a story the writers wrote them so well that you could even cry over them and also under stand their motives too and it the show all connected in the end in a way where every thing showed contributed to the ending so nothing was unimportant to the story.
5. the pacing
even though i saw many people say that the pacing of this story was slow paced, i think that was the right decision because i think that the pacing fit the story, because if it was any faster i think that i would have trouble following it and the pacing made the important beats of the story more impactful.
6. consistency
the biggest problem when watching comedy genres in dramas is that they always are super funny at first but when the climax of the story comes they become super melancholy and lose the shows initial charm but in this show they didn't the comedy remained throughout the show even after the sad parts and i very much liked that. and the found family and the dynamics between the characters were also consistent nothing happed that was out of character for them which i also really liked.
things i didn't like:
1. the female lead's character was a little neglected i could tell in the beginning of the show and i thought i should give the show more time and they did try to flesh her out a little more but i think they could have done a better job with her because in felt that the supporting characters were written better than her which is sad because she is the main lead.
2. the romance was lacking
i know some people would disagree with me but the main leads didn't have enough screen time together i felt the love between them but we didn't have enough time with them. and something else is that every body has so much chemistry with everybody i was getting confused at times like if you watched the show you could see it.
overall this may be the best drama I've seen this year the way it was created felt so well thought out and some people may not have liked the ending but I'm pretty content with it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Fangs of fortune: A Testament of grief , loyalty, sacrifice , forgiveness and soul-deep love
Fangs of Fortune isn’t just a drama; it’s a testament.A testament to grief.
To loyalty.
To justice.
To love that doesn’t need grand gestures or loud words to feel real.
I rewatched this series for the second time, and it changed everything. The first time, I was captivated by the visuals, the beautiful costumes, the stunning cast, and the ethereal soundtrack. I was caught in the magic. But on the second watch… I truly listened. I cried. I reflected. I understood.
So many people say it’s too slow or filled with too much dialogue. But what they don’t see is this: the dialogue is the soul of this story. Every conversation, every silence,it's filled with meaning. This isn’t a story of flashy romance and easy battles. This is a story about sacrifice, redemption, identity, grief, forgiveness, love, and peace earned the hard way.
At the heart of it all is Zhu Yan, one of the most dignified and emotionally layered male leads I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t lash out or scream for justice; he endures. He is feared by the world but never lets that fear change who he is. That is strength in its rawest, most human form.
And then there’s his love for Wen Xiao, a love that’s not loud or typical. No kisses, no wedding, no dramatic confessions. Yet it was profound. Their connection was built through shared pain, mutual respect, and unspoken loyalty. She believed in him when the world turned its back and vice versa. He gave everything to protect her.
In the end… Zhu Yan dies, and Wen Xiao loses him. It’s her who is left behind. And it broke me.
But what absolutely crushed me was the arc of Zhuo Yichen (played powerfully by Tian Jiarui).
He began the story hating Zhu Yan, blaming him for the death of his father and brother. His anger was righteous, raw, and understandable. But when they were forced to fight side by side, through impossible odds, he started to see. And when he finally understood the man Zhu Yan truly was, it was a breakthrough.
Zhuo Yichen was left with that grief of killing his best friend. It’s one of the most powerful and heartbreaking emotional threads in the series. His transformation was one of my favourite parts of the entire story.
The acting in this drama is phenomenal.
Hou Minghao is unforgettable, reserved yet devastating. His OST “Yuanzhou’s Youth” is a masterpiece that echoes his entire character arc.
Chen Duling is elegant and emotionally grounded as Wen Xiao.
Tian Jiarui brought layers to Zhuo Yichen that made his development one of the most satisfying and painful arcs.
The rest of the cast, Cheng Xiao, Lin Ziye, and more, all brought depth to a world where no character felt one-dimensional.
The visuals are breathtaking, but never just for show.
The costumes, the cinematography, and the music were all crafted with care.
The OST is emotional and immersive, with standouts like “Fangs of Fortune” and “Dream’s Candlewick,” but it’s Hou Minghao’s song that gripped my heart and never let go.
I’ve watched nearly 150 Chinese dramas.
But I’ve never experienced something that hit me like this.
This isn’t just my favourite drama; it’s my favourite story.
This isn’t just a series you watch.
It’s one you feel.
One you carry with you.
This drama is a life lesson.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A lot of potential but dulled by (probably?) subpar development, bad directing and awkward editing
The good:• Male lead is so good with his acting, styling and looks, 9.5/10 on that for me. I'm not familiar with 侯明昊 but after looking him up in interviews, realise his personality IRL differs from that of ML's character - I'm quite amazed with that on how he portray 赵远舟.
• A couple of other characters I really love are 白玖 (林子烨's acting is so good especially the last part I really felt the struggle unlike for some other actors in the drama...), 英磊, 离仑 and 裴思恒 - they made my heart ache for them.
• My favourite parts are 青耕 and 蜚's arc (they are just so good together post-My Journey to You), 英磊's death, 白玖's sacrifice and 离仑 version of 白玖.
• Story wise is interesting, visual effect is super cool.
• I do really enjoy many of the OSTs and will be adding them to my playlist.
• The funny dancing at the end of every episode gave me good laughs at some of the bad dancing like from 田嘉瑞 and 丞磊 they're so cute.
The bad:
• Realistically speaking, it's kinda a mess. The editing(?), the story and their treatment of the female characters in general.
• The first 10-ish episodes felt like a joke, with random OSTs playing out of nowhere and sad ones transitioning into the funny, funky ones awkwardly.
• Could have a bit more depth to some of the characters - ok you may think wow everyone has back stories already, what more do I want? NO. I don't need back stories for everyone, I just need solid character building. For example, the ML and FL are too... nice. World saving is their priority, they love their friends (except for 英磊 I feel, rip), which makes it feel like typical 2000s character where the main characters got to be nice and proper. Ok I know this is a personal preference, but yea I would prefer something a bit more realistic to work with here.
• They literally ignored 英磊 sometimes??? Like there's this scene where the main characters were saying they're a group of 5 good friends - and this includes 赵远舟, 文潇, 裴思婧, 卓翼宸 and 白玖. BUT WHAT ABOUT 英磊?????? Idk how the story is being written but the way things were shot, it feels like he's part of the gang but they're literally not acknowledging him most of the times and just see him as comic relief? Even though he's always helping them? His death is so not worth it man.
• Females characters feel a bit shallow to me, both in terms of story and acting. Either bad directing or bad acting idk, but FL 文潇 literally feels like background to me as most of the times she's just your typical damsel in distress, I believe they could have given her a lot more personality and character development but no she literally just feels like a nice neighbourhood sister. She's just nice. I even forgot she exists for some of the episodes at the back. 裴思婧 is cool and all, they made her sound super powerful and all but every times she fights, it just feels like she has some debuff on her, I have never see her being actually really powerful or anything lmao. And I wish she has shown stronger emotion for her brother's death, didn't feel anything from her of that sort. Same thing goes for 文潇, both their reactions are just not giving.
• Awkward editing, where there are some scenes that cut between 2 camera angles and the actors are in different poses don't even get me started.
• Some bad directing/editing especially when it comes to some death scenes that feels kinda awkward. For the parts where the demons are fading away like for 裴思恒 and 英磊, the other characters around started looking at the fading parts above them even though the dying person is still lying in their arm??? Like, if your loved ones are dying wouldn't you want to continue looking at their face as much as possible instead of just looking away? Feels like a case of miscommunication between director and producer idk. It took me out of the scene.
• The characters cry TOO MUCH OMG. Every episode. They have to find something to tear up about and it's always the standard single drip of tear down their face. It just feels like the director is too focused on bringing across the beauty of crying rather than building things up more for stronger emotional cries. There's only like 2-3 crying scenes that I felt a bit more on and it's from the ML, the rest idek.
• I literally can't feel the love between the ML and FL, it feels kinda out of nowhere and forced.
Ok peace and bye, have a good life ♥
Was this review helpful to you?
too dama slow
the speed of this show is unwatchablw slow. very nice costumes and pretty actors, but the pace of their conversation or plot is ridiculously boring. good luck to whoever can stay awake. please write a recap. i would gladly read it than watch on tv.sigh. i cant submit a review without 500 words. what i like about the show is the costumes. the main fl outfit is so pretty. her martial arts is basic, yet she is highly regarded in the buraue of demon hunting. the main male lead moves his finger and everything either explode or falls down. the second me lead has a puzzle look on his face all the time, not much emotion from his cheekbone. the sexond female lead looks fierce and awesome, its just she doesnt do anything fierce or awesome. nice combat costume though. the prodigy med kid stole the show with his funny stunts and scene. he would doqell with a show of his own.
Was this review helpful to you?
A pure feast for the eyes
Better then this, Idk. This drama has literally everything: action, fantasy, mystery, romance, humor, suspense and so much more.A fantastic cast, big chemistry, amazing fighting scenes, incredibly elegant shots and super mega aesthetic, slow motion close-ups. I seriously have not enough words to praise this drama.
And even OST + BGM!! are top notch. China slowly starts to understand the audience''s demands for big music and the full releasing! of the soundtracks.
This is an absolute must watch. One of the best c - dramas not only of 2024 but maybe of all times.
Was this review helpful to you?
A underdog demon slaying agency with demon´s!
I loved everything about this drama. I enjoyes the demon story but it´s not a new story. But to make rival agency and have an overhiped character that can not deliver. Brilliant! The Visuals where excellent, the cast and acting was on point. Only the actress Chen Du Ling did not fit the part. Well it´s a personal opinion, but I don´t like her being so sad and so sick and so frail. She is the personified weak female character. Shouldn´t she be a godes? Her character and her weak acting didn´t make any sence, and her tears are obviously... let´s just say, I loathe her fake crying!Story: Cool story setting. Great well fleshed charactors. Amazing visuals effects 10/10
Acting/Cast: The demon - hunter - setting alowed a whide acting range. Great experienced actors, did an amazing jog. -0,5 points, because I personaly dont like Chen Du Ling being cast in another weak evercrying female goddes role! 9,5/10
Music: Great entertaining music. listening right now! 10/10
Rewatch Value: While I´m writing this review, I want to watch it again! 10/10
Was this review helpful to you?
So good
It was so good! Except when it was making me scream out loud at the screen.... I got so sick of everyone trying to sacrifice themselves for everyone else. And the ending...what. was. that??The characters were amazing and cool. The story was inovative and entertaining. 9.5/10 because of the ending. There had better be a season 2 to fix all this!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
A Promise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Story - The story is something which is common but it showcases a different emotion and I really Liked it .Cast - I need not to say anything , The cast is amazing . They are linked to each other and They really did amazing Job by delivering and I literally cried a lot of times
Although the story in the mid was ok but it's worth watching , We have another Lovable squad here .
Each person have each motive but they come together to solve it but at the end they al become one protect each other .
I really Liked this drama and It should be in your watch list if you didn't see it .
Was this review helpful to you?
What a masterpiece
So many actors coming together in a show is rare.Solely watched it because of HOU MINGHAO and what a watch truly fell in love with it.
The story starts off strong, well paced and with all it’s twists and turns it keep us engaged.
The costumes, cinematography and music are much appreciated.
The short stories in between adds layers and depths in understanding of each character well.
Also the comic timing was perfect.
The growth of each one of them is worth watching. How Zhao and Zhuo became best friends from enemies, How Zhao wish he could be with the goddess but dares not to dream and try for a happy life.
All of them have great bond with each other and the way it transforms from just few ppl grouping up together to such meaningful relations was mesmerising and so genuine.
Just wish that they could have explored zhao and li lun story more, zhao past life could have been shown more.
And no it’s not a BL or GL.
NOT every relation is that of lovers..they could be soul mates, best friends, bros and sis…..loved how well they portrayed that!!
It’s gonna be a fun ride…i promise you will fall in love with them all and it will break your heart to say goodbye.
Was this review helpful to you?
Also the OST??!!! I had to add it in my Spotify listens coz it was THAT good
Was this review helpful to you?
Hou Minghao did very well, thank you for working so hard as always baobao❤️
a lil bit more to 10/10 but i chose 9,5 because yeah :") I love everything about this drama especially how Hou Minghao turned Zhou Yuanzhou into a living character successfully. also the OST makes everything fall into the right place, with the scene and ambience and the great acting of all actors, it's complete. And of course for me my Dayao ape cute demon Zhou Yuanzhou is everything, now everytime the rain is fall, we will always remember you Dayao. Wooooooooo ai niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii baobao🥹🥰Was this review helpful to you?
Fangs of Fortune – A Mythic Tale of Love, Redemption, and Immortal Bonds
Fangs of Fortune is an unforgettable journey of myth, sacrifice, and love. From Zhu Yan’s tortured soul to Wen Xiao’s rise as a quiet goddess, this drama left me in awe. It isn't just a tale of demons and gods—it’s a heartbreaking ode to love, loss, and the devastating beauty of holding on too tightly. The story lingers like a half-remembered dream, haunting, healing, and wholly unforgettable. It teaches us that power without compassion corrupts, that even gods can grieve, and that sometimes, the hardest battles are not against monsters, but against our longing.Full review here:
https://veiled-echium-730.notion.site/Fangs-of-Fortune-Heartfelt-Review-20fa1fcfae738059b073f8da6d0e08a7
Was this review helpful to you?
